One Piece: Straw Hat Alchemist
by Freedomhunter96
Summary: Alain, a wondering Alchemist, unexpectedly came across Straw Hat Luffy. Through a series of events, Alain helped Luffy in his mission to save Ace. Now, after the two years of training, he's committed to helping Luffy and his crew, traveling with them along the New World to accomplish their dreams. Can he also find his own dream along the way?
1. Chapter 1

**This is a story I will write along side my Dragon Ball Fanfic. I hope you all enjoy it.**

Two years.

It has been two long years since the Battle of Marineford. A battle that changed the very foundation of the world.

Now, it's time to go face that world.

Resting off to the side of the island called Amazon Lily, a young man lay against the rocks, enjoying the ocean breeze.

He had chin length black hair, a white shirt, with a long black trench coat laid to the side, and black pants and boots. Beside him along with the coat was a sash with pockets lined into it, carrying many small vials in it.

The young man relaxed for the first time in these two years. He had finally finished all the training he set out to do, training with the Kuja of the island. The only reason they let him stay and even train with them was to fulfill a promise. Hopefully he was ready to uphold it.

"Alain!" A female voice called out to him.

He opened his eyes and sat up to look and see a young woman with unruly blond hair. She had on barely anything, just a bikini top and miniskirt made out of animal skin, and a white cape. With a snake whom is black and green striped wrapped around her waist.

"What is it Marguerite?" He said in response.

"We're leaving soon. Don't want to keep the Empress waiting. She might get really mad." She stated with a smile.

Alain sighed. "No, I guess not." He stood up and grabbed his sash and coat. Putting the coat on first and the sash over it across his chest. "Let's go then."

With that, Marguerite led the way back to the docks.

Eventually arriving at the docks, the Kuja Pirates gathered around their ship. giant red ship, resembling a Junk. The front have two Yuda, large ferocious and poisonous sea serpents, harnessed to the ship, allowing them to move through the Calm Belt with ease. In the center stood a very tall woman with long black hair wearing a blue dress, a lot like the one that she wore when he first came to the island, though that one was red, along with a white cape. She had her back facing her, tapping her foot impatiently.

"I wasn't gone that long." Alain said to her.

The woman turned around, an annoyed look upon her. It of course was none other then the Pirate Empress Boa Hancock, one of the Warlords of the Sea.

"It has been too long. Today's the day, the day I get to see my beloved again, and your taking your time." She said in an irritable tone.

"Look, I'm here now. Let's just go." He said back, deciding not to waste any more time.

She gave a huff and walked to her ship, Alain following behind.

Hancock would never admit it, but she had a little respect for him. Lasting through two years of training with the Kuja is no small feat, and Alain did it in well.

The giant serpents that help draw the ship lowered their heads to let them up. In no time, the ship set sail.

As they moved, Alain stood to the side, looking out into the ocean. Marguerite, along with her two friends, Aphelandra and Sweet Pea, approached him.

Aphelandra was an extremely tall woman with brown hair. She wore a blue corset bordered with yellow and studded with buttons, a similar blue bikini bottom, a white cape, and a plumed helmet with cheek guards and the Kuja emblem on the front. Sweet Pea was very large woman Kuja warrior with a masculine-like build. She wore a similar outfit to Marguerite and also carried a snake weapon with her. She wore a coat around her shoulders and had her hair in pigtails.

"Enjoying the view?" Marguerite asked curiously.

"It's relaxing." Alain put simply.

"Are you excited to see him again?" Aphelandra asked, unintentionally talking down to him due to her height.

"I guess so. I'm more interested to get to Sabaody Archipelago." Alain answered, turning around to look at them.

"I'm kind of sad to see you leave. You've lived on Amazon Lily for so long now, it will be a bit weird." Sweet Pea stated.

"I'm sure it will be no different. Besides, no men are allowed to be on the island. I think I've outstayed my welcome." Alain explained. "Besides…...I'm a bit tired of all the woman trying to see if my skin will stretch like Luffy's."

Sweet Pea looked down a bit sad at what he said.

"Don't worry, you're welcome any time to Amazon Lily." Marguerite chimed in.

Alain smiled a bit. "Thanks I guess."

One of the other Kuja, Ran, an average sized lady who had jet black hair parted on one side, walked up.

"Come now, no more slacking. We need to stay busy for our Empress." She called out.

"Yes Ma'am!" All three perked up and went to do something else.

Ran looked at Alain and gave a smile, then walked off. Alain smiled back, and went back to looking out into the ocean.

Alain couldn't believe the journey he had gotten himself wrapped up in. Two years ago he was just a kid who fled from home, then he thought he saw something fly by in the sky, going faster than a speeding bullet. He followed it, and ended up on Amazon Lily, where he met a certain straw hat pirate. Then, well, Alain went with him to assist on his rescue mission. Sadly, everyone knew how that ended.

After it was over, Alain stayed on Amazon Lily to train his at the time unknown Haki abilities, and Luffy went to Rusukaina, an island not far from where they are now.

Nothing like training with the Kuja Pirates and the infamous Gorgon Sisters to prepare you for anything.

Eventually, in the distance appeared the Rusukaina, The trip not taking long at all. Due to the extreme weather conditions that the island was known for, it currently was in a winter season, snow covering the whole island. In no time, they anchored near land, and Alain jumped off. Following behind him were Hancock, Marguerite, Elder Nyon, the former empress who accompanied them on the voyage, and Hancock's two sisters, Boa Sandersonia and Boa Marigold.

Alain remembered the last place he saw Luffy, the large white tree that Rayleigh said was the only safe place on the island.

After walking some distance, Alain sees it in his sight. Standing in front of it was a young man wearing an open, long-sleeved red cardigan with four buttons, light blue shorts, and a yellow sash tied around his waist.

He picked up a straw hat that lay on a rock in front of the tree, and looked at it.

"It's been two years already, huh?" He asked, somehow knowing Alain was standing behind him.

"Yeah, it has. Now it's time to go." Alain said in response.

Alain followed him as he lead the way to a makeshift camp. Near it were four large beasts eating. A smaller red tiger just a bit bigger than them. But the other three were enormous. A blue hair gorilla struggled for food with a green skinned crocodile. Looking at the Kuja fiercely was the last one, a giant lion.

"The ship is ready to set sail! We can leave whenever you like!" Marguerite called out to him.

"All right! Thanks!" Luffy said back.

The lion roared at them all, But Luffy gave it a stern look. "Hey!" This caused the lion to seem afraid of Luffy. "Look harder. These are my friends."

Marguerite gave a sigh of relief.

Hancock laughed a bit. "Well isn't that something."

"Looks like you're the undisputed boss of this island." Sandersonia added.

Alain looked all of them over, surprised that such large and dangerous beasts were docile before Luffy. "You really beat every single beast here? Rayleigh said there was almost five hundred of them on the island." He asked with curiosity and slight shock.

"Yeah, but since I've gone and made friends with these guys, I haven't been able to eat any of them. Kinda sucks. They look pretty tasty, too" Luffy explained.

"Always thinking of food huh…" Alain thought.

Hancock once again became lovestruck, seeing Luffy for the first time in years. "Worry not, Luffy. I have made sure that the ship is stocked with all of your favorite foods! It is qualities such as this that prove I will surely make a wonderful wife."

"I'm not marrying you! Thanks for the food!" Luffy said casually.

She held her head back with a hand over it. "Aahhh! So cruel, yet so divine!"

Alain and Elder Nyon just stared at her, not believing that Hancock still acted like this. Alain was also a little surprised that Luffy responded with not marrying her. He actually figured it out.

"Since Rayleigh left half a year ago now, I'm sure he's at Sabaody already, waiting for you impatiently!" Sandersonia stated.

"I picked up all the basics in just a year and a half, after all. Well, I guess this is goodbye to you guys and this place." Luffy said to the beasts, them actually seeming sad that he was leaving.

Luffy held his hat up high, looking at it. With his time over, and his resolve full, he placed it on his head, finally taking up his title of Straw Hat Pirate, Monkey D. Luffy, once again.

"Right! Let's get going!" Luffy announced.

With that said, all headed back to the ship, ready to set sail.

It didn't take long for them all to be back at sea. The Kuja worked as normal, and for once, Luffy was actually having a calm moment for once. He stood by Alain as they looked out to sea. Hancock was busy having fantasies of being with Luffy, looking over at him occasionally.

"Rayleigh came to help give me train with Haki. The different teacher was interesting. It wasn't long after you had finished training with him." Alain stated.

"I had no idea what I was getting into. But I'm ready for anything." Luffy boasted a bit.

"We can only hope." Alain added.

"How was Hancock as a teacher?" Luffy asked.

"She...definitely shows no mercy." Alain answered. "Her and her sisters."

"We just exited the Calm Belt!" A Kuja Pirate announced to everyone.

Alain could see the ocean current was moving a lot more now, and they could feel the wind.

"Almost there." Alain told Luffy.

"You excited to meet my crew?" Luffy asked, very curious.

"From what I've heard of them, a little bit." Alain said, not giving a full answer.

Alain took a moment to look upward, and flying a bit away from the ship was a News Coo, the newspaper delivery birds. Curious as to the new goings on in the world, he tried waving to get its attention. Luffy finally saw it as well. "Oh, a bird!"

It eventually noticed them and flew closer, landing on the railing of the ship. It took a newspaper out of the pouch it carried and gave it to Alain. It then flew off again to deliver more newspapers.

Alain opened it up and looked at what was a big topic. Flipping through, he read one article that slowly gained his attention more and more.

Alain's face slowly turned to rage, but he kept it controlled, widening his eyes. Alain walked to the upper floor of the ship, where Hancock was, Luffy following him, confused.

"Hey, where you going?" Luffy called out.

"Hancock!" Alain called, snapping her out of her daydream.

Shaking her head, she looked to him a bit annoyed. "What is it?"

"We have a problem." Alain stated.

"What problem?" She asked, slightly confused.

He opened to the page he read, holding it up for them all to see.

"New Super Soldier Serum Created At Melchior!"

Hancock's sisters and Luffy looking as well. "Melchior…..wait, isn't that the highly developed and advanced island on the edge of the Grand Line?" Hancock pondered.

"It is. This serum this article is talking about, my family created it. This is a big mistake." Alain explained.

All looked at him, trying to figure out what he ment. Alain scratched his head. "I guess I never did tell you guys about where I came from. I was focused on helping rescue Ace, then on my training."

"Yeah...you never actually did." Luffy agreed.

"Well, the truth is, I'm from Melchior." Alain put simply.

Everyone but Luffy had a shocked expression.

**This is only the prologue. Alain and Mechior will be explained more in the next chapter.**


	2. Chapter 2

The Great Pirate Era is more active than ever before. Changes in the world over the past two years have set everything towards a new course. And a new tale begins now.

After having left Amazon Lily and reacquainting with Luffy, the mysterious Alain, a man Luffy met after arriving on the island of women, finally reveals his past to his new friends.

"Melchior actually exists!?" Sandersonia asked with shock. "I've only heard stories, but I never thought it really thought they were true."

Alain looked out to the sea as he spoke. "Melchior lays in a place on the Grand Line where it is hard to come by. It sits perfectly right outside the Calm Belt, and is so far removed that a Log Pose nine times out of ten won't pick up its magnetic waves." Alain explained. "So unless you have an Eternal Pose, that constantly points to the island, you probably won't find it. That's why many people think it's just a myth."

He turns back to look at them. "I'm sure you must have known it's real Hancock. You are one of the Warlords of the Sea. You sail under the World Governments name." He stated to her.

She looked away from him. "The World Government would never tell me such a secret."

"I figured." Alain responded with.

Luffy put his arms around the back of his head, sitting against the wooden railing.

"So….why did you leave then?" Marigold asked curiously.

"A number of reasons. But I guess I'll tell you the whole story." Alain half answered. "If from what I know is right, this happened about a few days before Luffy and his crew first arrived at Sabaody." He looked back out to sea again.

On what seemed like an average day, Alain was doing a day of work at the Melchior docks. He wore a white shirt to fit in with the other workers. The tall stone walls with high powered cannon emplacements at the top stood to his sides, as the docks had a gap for ships to come and go. The latest shipment of supplies was just finished being checked over, moved and stored onto a Marine warship.

Alain looked at the ship and just thought how primitive they were compared to a ship that Melchior could make, as Marines had specific places under their control build them. These supplies were nothing more than a gesture of good will, as the last thing the island needed was the World Government against them.

He turned away from it to look more at the docks, it, according to some Marines he had overheard, would give Water 7 a run for its money. They clearly didn't see the rest of it. Even Alain had heard of Water 7's shipbuilding capabilities, and they did make good quality ships, but it was mostly to personal opinion on who had the better craftsmen.

The docks was filled with many large wooden buildings of dark colored wood or mildly varying colors. People all around working, carrying tools, carving wood, shipping resources. For all his years of working in various places across the island, Alain had gained a basic idea of what everyone's task was.

The boss of this part of the docks walked up to Alain. He was a tall muscular man with a dirty white shirt and tan pants, clearly showing he works just as much as anyone else here did. "Those supplies all good Alain?"

"I went over them myself, everything seemed in order. Marines are taking them now." Alain responded with, keeping respectful tone to the man.

"Good, the sooner they leave the better." The boss added. "I think all your work is done for the day. You should stick around a bit, hang out with the guys. You always seem to stick to yourself."

"No offense sir, but I try not to associate with sailors or dock workers, leads to some kind of trouble." Alain said honestly.

"You're a smart kid, but don't be a loner your whole life, it's no fun." The boss ended with, and went off to look over the area more.

Alain headed on his way, leaving the docks and going into the city. He was somewhat glad to leave. As much as he didn't mind the manual labor, the dock workers could get to loud for him. Over the years he's worked, he had gotten into several fights, and had to learn to defend himself, which he can do very well against any normal person.

The island had much ground, and instead of being many separate cities, it was all one whole city, with small spots of overgrowth and tree's.

Alain lived to one of the far sides of the island, where many were of upper middle class, a comfortable area.

The buildings soon turned to stone and well crafted, getting taller as he went. Alain kept to the side streets so as not to get into any big crowds, as the city never seemed to stop moving, no matter what time of day it was. Everyone was always doing something.

One could tell that this city was something entirely different to any other. The heavy machinery that lined some of the buildings, even spreading into many others, snaking around the rooftops. The people's well made, if not proper clothing.

Much of what was there had been added onto. The island had a long history of independence, until it allied with the World Government. Then, it was ruled by a Queen, Victoria. Queen Victoria worked diligently so that everyone on the island would prosper. Sadly she passed with no heirs. A governor was appointed to lead the island afterwards. Since his rule began, he lead the island into a revolution. Advancing the capabilities and machinery of the island, making it known as one of the most advanced, and in a way, powerful nations.

In honor of the former Queen, the buildings and pieces of the island that still exist from her time are known as Victorian Era, in her honor.

And so, with all that, Melchior was always on the World Governments mind for advancing their own reach.

After all this thinking and walking, Alain had made it into a private area, owned by his family. A well made manor that stood about three stories high. Alain's family was very well off, but still had to keep up and add to the island's work.

Alain learned his alchemic knowledge from his mother and father, who used the profession to come up with new products, of any sort.

He entered the front door of the manor and looked over the entrance. Well polished wooden furniture all around and portraits of their family and landmark litter the walls.A grand staircase in the middle to the second floor, and the smaller sets going to the sides to get to the third. The walls were maroon in color, with red carpeting all around, gold lines tracing the floor as well. Most of the house had this look to it. Alain felt happy to be home.

Looking over the halls he had known his whole life made him think a bit of how lonely he was in a way. His parents were always be absorbed into their work, and after Alain was old enough, they seem to spend less time with them. He never hated them for it, as he grew a mildly similar mindset. Eventually, it just came to a point where Alain accepted them for who they were, and that shouldn't hold him back in what he wanted to do in his life.

Going through the halls he walked to his dads study. Opening the door, he noticed it was a lot messier than normal. Charts and papers lined the walls, and desks sat at every corner with books laying all over them. Many of his research papers and vials of different elements and mixtures spread out all over the floor.

Alain's father was at his workbench in the back of the room, looking over something intensely. He had his black hair tied back and wore a white work coat.

"Dad, I'm home." Alain announced.

He looked back at his son. "Oh Alain, good. I just finished my work. I think I finally got the formula right."

Alain walked in further. "You mean the project you've been working on for a few years?"

"Yes. I finally got it." He confirmed.

"Its some kind of ...energy enhancer right." Alain remembered.

"Indeed. It will give a boost to the system, giving energy to the body at a good rate, and gradually wear off as time goes by. It shouldn't have any harmful effects." His dad explained.

"Could it ...make people much stronger physically?" Alain inquired.

"In theory yes. But it shouldn't be to an intense degree. There are certain situations where the machinery might not function. And much of it is heavy for example, so that extra bit of strength needed to work on it will come in handy." He added to his explanation.

"Does mom know yet?" Alain asked next.

"No, not yet. But I'll tell her once she gets home." His dad answers, fiddling with some things on the table.

Alain just nodded, he knew he was too much in thought to talk more.

"Alright, well, I'm going out for a walk. I'll be back later today." Was all he said, then walked out, closing the door.

Alain went back to the entrance and headed to the second floor. Going to the left, he went down a small hallway to his room.

His room was decently sized. A wardrobe for his clothes, a desk near the door, being opposite of a large window, and a bed in the corner. The room had the same coloring as the rest of the house. Red carpet with faded gold lines running around it, the walls being maroon, and the ceiling white.

Alain changed to a grey shirt and looked over his desk. He didn't like to keep a lot of his own notes around, as his desk was relatively clean. If he was finished with something, he stored the notes down in the basement, so as not to take up room. Most of his parents work was stored there as well.

There wasn't much for him to look at, so, not feeling all that tired, Alain decided to just go for a walk. There was a small forest area near where he lived, one of the few on the island. Walking through it to him might be relaxing, away from the crowded city.

Leaving his room with what he currently had on, he quickly left his home and went onward. The forest only being a mile away.

As Alain walked, he thought about how sad it was that there was very little forest left on the island. Some spots still existed, but Alain was worried they might be done away with to expand more. He liked the tree's, as they stood out much from the dull colors of the city buildings.

Eventually, he made it to the woods, walking in, an open path in the trees.

The bits of sun shining through the leaves gave Alain a soothing feeling. The forest was something natural, you could be there, away from all the loud noises, the buildings, and most of the people. Something about the people of Melchior was that they were all business, so to Alain, it didn't make them feel honest, and in a way, almost made him feel a bit lonely.

This was probably the largest wooded area of the island, so there was much ground to cover.

Alain walked for quite some time, to him, it felt like he had been over foot of it. He eventually came to an opening in the tree's.

Before him was a mile wide stretch of just grass, with a cliff that lead down to the ocean, giving a nice view. Sitting on the edge of the cliff, was a small lone tree. No leaves on it, and probably maybe a few feet taller than Alain, even with the sharp turns in the trunk.

Alain decided it was a good place to rest, so he walked up to the tree and sat down. The distance of the ocean before him was breathtaking.

"To think...out in this expansive ocean...is other lands. A whole world." Alain muttered to himself.

Alain never really thought about leaving the island, but it did feel a bit cramped. This island of Melchior, had been his whole world for the past 17 years. He would like to explore it, find all the different kinds of materials, different formulas he could make. Some probably no one has even made before.

However, he really couldn't just leave everything he had just for that could he?

So… It was just something to think on.

Out of the corner of his eye, Alain looked up to see a lone fruit on the tree. It was quite large, almost looking like a melon, but had a silver color with swirl marks across it, and a very curly stem. Alain climbed a little up the tree, reaching for the fruit. With a little force, it came off.

It didn't seem bad, and while it had an odd appearance it looked like it was edible. Natural fruit like this was a rarity, so Alain thought it might be good, at least having a sweet taste to it.

Alain decided to consider it his personal treat, life for him was looking good, the formula his dad came up with might benefit them quite well. Maybe even allow them to move up into Melchior's higher status.

Having a soft exterior, Alain ripped a piece off and took a bite. He couldn't really describe what the taste was. Sweet and sour, it didn't seem normal, but it didn't taste bad. So, he dug into the part he tore off and ate the fruit.

After five or so minutes, Alain had actually finished the fruit, which he didn't intend to eat all at once, but just did. Leaving only the core, he threw it aside.

Alain groaned a bit. "Maybe I shouldn't have eaten it all at once. Why did it taste so… metallic after a bit." As little sense as that made to him.

Alain sat there for a little longer, still liking the view. But, after a bit more time, he decided to get up and leave. As he turned to go, he saw someone coming towards him.

It was a man with short brown and grey hair, a mustache, and a heavy brown coat. It didn't take him long to realize who it was. This man was Matthew Arlind, the Governor of Melchior.

"Governor?" Alain said, confused.

The Governor was surprised to even see him there. "What...what are you doing here? Wait...Wait I remember you." The Governor rambled. "Yes…..Alain was it. I met your family at a gathering, your father was trying to present some formula."

The Governor's way of speaking seemed off, it was erratic. During public showings, he was calm, collected, and spoke with a sense of leadership.

"Um….sir?" Alain said in confusion, not sure why he spoke like this.

The Governor looked past him to the tree, and his face turned pale. "The Fruit?" He whispered.

"What did you do? What did you do with the fruit!" He demanded, in a raised tone of voice.

"The fruit?" Alain thought.

Why did he care about a fruit? It didn't make any sense to Alain.

The Governor walked up to him, getting closer. Alain usually was calm under tense situations, but this just didn't feel right to him.

"You ate it. It's gone. You ate it, didn't you?" The Governor accused.

"I did. Why does it matter?" Alain responded with, still confused.

The Governor grew more angered. "You took away my only means. I could have finally left. Been somewhere higher." He shouted. "You took it away, you took away my only chance."

Alain took a few steps back as the Governor was getting far too close to him.

"Damn you boy!" He shouted louder, and reached an arm back to strike Alain.

Alain, having been in many fights before, reflexively held his arms up to defend himself. In a few seconds, something covered Alain's arms, and as the Governor hit him, Alain felt nothing. The Governor pulled his arm back and howled in pain.

Alain held his arms before himself, shocked at was he saw. His arms appeared lustrous metallic with a grayish tinge. He felt across them both.

"What… What is this? Metal?" Alain said aloud.

The Governor looked back to him. "You did eat it, you have the Devil Fruit's power." He told Alain.

Devil Fruit? Alain thought those were only myths. He had never seen one before. This fruit he just ate, made him turn into metal, and from his experience, it appeared to be iron.

"Damn you. I know you're family boy. I'll make you pay." The Governor cursed. "And I know you won't be able to leave. Now that you've eaten that, you can't swim."

With that, the Governor ran back the way he came.

Alain, still in shock that he actually ate a Devil Fruit, tried to relax himself. He kept thinking in his head, "Change back". After a minute of focusing himself, his arms turned back to normal.

He gasped with relief. Now, he needed to figure out what to do next. His first thought was to return home and warn his family. It was the best idea he had at the moment, so he ran down the path and headed home.

Alain got out of the forest, but after he did, he immediately hid. The city guards, wearing light brown uniforms walked down the street, heading in the direction of Alain's home.

Alain had a feeling of dread. So he tried to take hidden paths to his home, hoping that his parents were okay. He knew these streets well, finding many different ways to go over his life.

Eventually he found a way home. It was right in front of him, but Alain hid in an alleyway looking right at it. He was too late, the city guards had surrounded the front of his home. His dad stood outside, his mom possibly still inside.

"What is the meaning of this?" His dad called out to the guards.

"You and your family are wanted for treason." The guard exclaimed.

"What treason!?" Alain's father gasped.

"For planning to assassinate the Governor of Melchior. You are to come quietly and without resistance." The Head Guard demanded.

"Sir please, there must be some kind of mistake." Alain's father pleaded. As soon as he finished, that, a gunshot was heard.

Without warning, all the guards aimed their rifle and fired in the direction of Alain's home, his father torn apart by the constant fire.

It happened so quickly, but to Alain, watching with shock and horror, it seemed like everything slowed down. His father being shot and falling backward, all seemed to take an eternity.

"Burn the mansion, their may be more inside!" The head guard commanded the rest.

The guards threw several fire bombs into the mansion, not taking long for it to catch ablaze.

Alain fell to his knees. Everything went silent. His home, his family, all gone in a matter of a few moments. He couldn't imagine how his father felt as he was shot, or his mother, as she possibly watched from inside, and unable to escape the burning building.

It went on and on, but Alain, deep in his mind, knew he could not stay any longer.

So, he ran. Anywhere but here, cause he knew if he was caught they would kill him.

A few days had passed since Alain lost his home. He was still wanted by the guards, trying not to be spotted by them.

Finding food was tough, but Alain scrounged up what he could to live. It was hard for him to sleep though, always keeping one eye open. Hiding and sleeping on rooftops and dark alleys. The constant memories of his father and home, never leaving him.

All that time, Alain had considered his only option. Leave the island.

The hardest part was finding a boat he could use. It had to be small enough and easy enough for one person to manage. Alain had the knowledge, but there were still difficulties. Like getting out unnoticed.

With no other options, he headed to the docks to see if there was anything he could use.

It didn't take him long to reach them. Still keeping out of sight, he looked and found more personal ships. To his surprise, he found one that would fit his needs perfectly.

The Governor's personal ship.

It was only meant for sailing to close by areas, but Alain could make it work on the sea, and he knew it had seastone on the bottom so that seakings wouldn't attack him.

It was a sloop model ship, meant for one or two people. Having only two decks, an upper and lower. The main and only mast sit in the middle with a crow's nest at the top. And there were two cannons on it for some defense, one on each side on the upper deck.

Alain snuck on board, looking through it. He went to the lower deck to see that there was actually a good amount of food, meaning to Governor may have planned to use it soon. There were also plenty of spare cannonballs and wood lying around in case of breaks.

Looking to make sure the dock was empty, as the sun was going down. He moved the capstan that sat behind the wheel and prepared to sail as quickly as he could.

In almost no time, Alain set out onto the sea. He knew the cannons at the tops of the wall placings wouldn't shoot. They wouldn't hit the Governor's personal vessel.

Many rocks and harsh waters surrounded the island, but Alain had memorized them very well growing up. He knew exactly where he needed to go to leave.

Alain looked back to his home, feeling sad to leave the place he had grown up and come to know. But if he stayed, he certainly would die. And with that out of his mind, he looked forward, taking the path out of Melchior's territory.

Days had passed, and Alain had no idea where he was going. All he knew was that he had crossed into the Calm Belt at some point, but the ship was capable of moving through the still sea.

He examined the new power he had gotten from the fruit, as it turned out, there was a book in the ship about all known Devil Fruits.

Alain surmised that the last user of it had to have died, and it came back into the fruit on the tree. The Metal-Metal Fruit, a Logia type, an extremely rare kind.

After a bit, ideas kept coming to his mind about the capabilities of it. Could he become multiple types of metal? Was there an actual limit as to what he could do? Most of that kept him occupied in his sailing.

The isolation may have also started getting to him. While Alain didn't mind being by himself, seeming lost in the vast sea made him feel small, and lonely.

At some point, he finally cracked a bit, asking himself what he should do now.

"Well...I'm lost…I have no idea where to go...I can't go back home...home is...gone." He spoke aloud to himself.

Alain layed down on the upper deck, looking into the sky.

"No wind...no waves. The Calm Belt only makes this worse. This ship wasn't meant to go so far." He continued.

As he stared into the sky, his isolation consuming him. Something strange came into his sight.

For only a few seconds, something sped over him. It was almost like time slowed for just those few seconds. It almost seemed like a person, but that couldn't be possible.

Alain got up and looked in the direction it was headed. All he could see was the open ocean.

"What… was that?" Alain asked himself. He probably stood there for minutes on end, contemplating what to do.

"Damn it. This seems crazy." Alain told himself, and with that, turned the ship to the direction the object was going.

He sailed for hours, and eventually, an island came into view. As he drew closer, planning to dock on the side of the island, Alain had no idea that the place he had landed, was Amazon Lily.

"And that's how I ended up on Amazon Lily, and how I met Luffy. The rest, you all know." Alain ended.

Everyone was silent as they took in and processed Alain's story. Finally, Elder Nyon spoke up first.

"That was quite a short story. I can imagine you were on the run for days, and then sailing for longer without knowing where you were going. That is quite astounding." She pointed out.

"Well I didn't want to drag on, I think you can imagine my experience during all that. It wasn't a great time for me." Alain countered.

Alain paced a bit, waiting for some kind of response from the others.

"So then, you want us to go all the way to your home, and stop this man, your Governor, from abusing your families work?" Hancock repeated.

"That's the short version." Alain stated.

"To bring this up out of nowhere is simply baffling. After all this time, and training, you ask something else of us?" Hancock said in her normal demeaning tone, not expecting an answer.

"You agreed to train me. I fought through your warriors on Amazon Lily, went through hell and back in Impel Down, and survived Marineford, all on what I can guess is pure luck. I trained two years to fully understand my powers, and now, this is something "I" need to do." Alain argued. "Or have you forgotten my promise Hancock, I can't do it unless this is done."

Hancocks face was filled with annoyance. As much as she hated men (Besides Luffy) she had come to tolerate Alain over the years, at least gaining some respect for him, but she would never say such a thing nor show it in high degrees.

Luffy, having one nothing but listen the whole time, finally got up from where he sat. "He's right." Everyone looked over to him, as Luffy walked to Alain. His eyes remained covered by his hat the whole time.

"You didn't have to come with me to save Ace, but you did. You had my back the whole time, and I can't thank you enough for that." Luffy explained. "If I can help you in any way, I will." He looked up, and gave his usual smile. "After all, we are friends."

That actually touched Alain. He never really had someone call him a friend before. Yes, he did risk his life joining Luffy to save Ace. But he only did it at first to see what Luffy could do, having actually gotten the Pirate Empress Boa Hancock on his side was an amazing feat, and he did it through his actions and words.

Then, racing down into the depths of Impel Down, which was suicide, and working with people who had been his enemies in the past, and even gaining new allies along the way. Alain seemed to realize that Luffy had some strange ability to gain allies no matter the circumstances, possible because of how simple a view he has of things.

Finally, charging into Marineford during the middle of a war, and succeeding in rescuing his brother from execution, only for Ace to save his life in return, showed how determined he was to accomplish anything.

After all this, Alain came to realize that Luffy was unlike any person in the entire world. For better or worse.

"Thanks Luffy." Alain said simply, actually giving a slight smile in return, holding his hand sideways in front of Luffy.

Luffy just gave a light laugh and held his hand up as well, giving Alain a high five.

Hancock gave a sigh. "Fine, since Luffy will help, so will I." Hancock added.

Alain looked to her, a bit surprised. "Your actually coming?"

"I won't let my dear Luffy go to this place, putting himself in harm's way." She announced.

"Snake Princess!" Elder Nyon shouted in shock.

"It's fine, I could use the help." Alain said before anyone else could protest.

With Luffy and Hancock at his side, this should go over easily, at least Alain hoped so.

"So, how are we supposed to get there? You said Melchior has rocks and rough waters surrounding it. I'm sure that my ship coming in to view wouldn't be good." Hancock inquired.

"The path I took is meant for smaller ships like the one I took, we could use it, but I don't think this is right for it. But the one I had got destroyed not long after I landed on Amazon Lily" Alain explained.

They all heard what sounded like someone tripping on the steps. After a few minutes and some whispering, Marguerite walked up nervously, Sweet Pea and Aphelandra peaking over the steps.

"Marguerite, were you listening the whole time?" Nyon lectured.

"Um yes, and...we might have a solution." Marguerite said nervously.

Everyone listened, curious as to what she would say.

"Well um, the ship you brought wasn't destroyed." Marguerite explained, the statement leaving everyone confused. "While we were hunting you and Luffy, we found it. We thought it was a neat ship, so the three of us took the spare wood and left it where the ship was, we burned it for good measure. We hid the ship in one of the caves hidden on the island."

There was a brief moment of silence, the wind blowing by.

"YOU STOLE AND HID MY SHIP AND DIDN'T EVEN TELL ME OVER THESE TWO YEARS!" Alain shouted in rage. His head almost seeming bigger than normal as his eyes went white completely in his moment of anger.

"Um well…." Marguerite tried to explain.

Alain tried his hardest not to slap Marguerite silly, but he knew there were more important things. He rubbed his forehead and calmed himself down.

"Okay...you have my ship. That means I can get back into Mechior without being detected. If just Luffy and Hancock are coming… It should be big enough for all of us." Alain said in a low voice.

"Awesome!" Luffy exclaimed.

Hancock simply smiled, probably because Luffy was happy.

"Let's go back and get the ship. Do you have a sea chart? I can guide us there and I'll sail us the rest of the way." Alain explained.

"I think I can find something." Nyon said simply.

Hancock walked down the stairs, getting all her crew's attention. "Change of plans everyone! We are heading back to Amazon Lily, and then we set a new course."

Not wanting to argue with their Empress, they all agreed. "Yes Empress!"

The ship turned to the direction of Amazon Lily, and as they sailed back, Alain thought of what they would do once they set out for Melchior.

TO BE CONTINUED

***Sorry for the delay. I'm back to writing now and will begin on chapter 3 shortly. I hope you all enjoyed this one***


	3. Chapter 3

Last time, Alain had found out the startling news that his father's work had been taken by the Governor of his home, Melchior. Determined to see that his family's legacy isn't tarnished anymore then it is, he set out to the island, Monkey D. Luffy and Boa Hancock joining him on this venture.

Alain stood by the front of the ship, looking for the signs that they were near Melchior. His thoughts constantly going on about what he'll do once they are in.

Having gone back and retrieved his old ship (That he stole and in turn got stolen from him), they headed straight to where Alain told them to go. All the while, he felt his insides twisting a bit, given that he was basically a wanted man in the place he grew up in. Training all this time was a good way of keeping it out of his mind, now it felt like all the thoughts were hitting him at once.

His thoughts were interrupted however when he heard one of the female pirates call out. "Rocks ahead!"

Alain shook his head and looked forward, sure enough, up ahead was a large amount of rocks sticking up from the water, the waves crashing against them. Some almost seemed like stone serpents in the water, rising up and going down, erosion from the water all across them. Others were like spikes sticking upward. To anyone, it was a sailor's worst nightmare, a large asymmetrical mess that seemed impossible for any ship to get through unscathed. Alain couldn't even begin to tell how many ships must have sunk trying to get through. Luckily for him, he knew exactly how to get through it.

Luffy stretched his arm and sprung over to the wooden railing Alain stood against, standing atop it while leaning downward.

"Man, that's a lot of rocks. How are we gonna get through?" Luffy asked curiously.

"That's why we needed my ship." Alain answered. He walked back to the upper deck where Hancock, her sisters and Elder Nyon stood.

"I hope you don't intend to get us killed." Hancock stated.

They all stood around a table with a massive sea chart of the area placed atop it.

"I agree Alain, how is one suppose to navigate through this?" Nyon inquired.

Alain flipped the chart over to the blank side and grabbed a pencil from the corner of the table. He drew a large circle around it, then a smaller circle in the center again.

He pointed towards the back of the circle, where he was standing. "We are about here, this is the back of the island." He then drew a decent sized rectangle around what would have been the front, and a line on the back where he was.

"This large ring is the rocks you see, it surrounds the island completely. There are plenty of gaps, it's not a solid ring. The only problem is that unless you know it beforehand, you're going to end up sinking your ship ninety-nine percent of the time." He pointed to the front. "That spot is where it's the least dangerous. The rocks are spaced far enough apart that you can get through there with little difficulty. That's the usual way people get in and out." He then pointed to the line at the back. "This is a lesser known path, very small, and risky. Only small ships like the one I have are more suited for it."

"Is this path a known one?" Hancock asked next.

"Not really, very few know about it. I wouldn't have found it if not for the notes I found in the ship when I left. I memorized them, so I still know the way." Alain explained.

"Cool, sounds easy enough. Let's go already." Luffy exclaimed. "We need to get this jerk that took Alain's stuff."

Alain was glad Luffy wanted to help, but there was still another problem.

"I'll have to steer the ship myself, and it's not exactly a pleasant ride. If you two are coming you're gonna have to hold on tight. All three of us are Devil Fruit Users after all." Alain added.

Hancock silently agreed, holding her chin between her thumb and pointer finger in thought.

Nyon however was the first to break the silence. "I am hoping that you don't put our princess in serious harm. But… I am still worried about you, looking for revenge may lead to something even worse."

Alain stood up straight, folding his arms. "This is something I have to do. If I don't, then the world will be worse for it, because the World Government will have another way to keep people in check. For the wrong reasons." He explained adamantly.

The seriousness that he presented brought on another silence. Everyone knew that he couldn't be swayed from this.

"Well what are we waiting for, let's go!" Luffy announced.

Alain nodded. The next few moments he didn't even remember even going by, his drive to get there his sole focus. The thought of his parent's formula being used in such a manner made him sick. They may have been distant because of them being buried in their work, but he didn't hate them. In fact Alain almost respected them for their dedication, and they still didn't neglect to raise him right. His favorite memories of being with them were at events they attended, he spent time with them the most at large gatherings.

The next thing he knew he was sailing away from Hancock's ship. His hands gripping the wheel of the ship, heading towards the rocks that surrounded Melchior.

Time flew by in silence. Luffy stood against the main mast, his hat covering his eyes. Hancock looked out from the front, trying to get a closer look at the rocks. Eventually, she looked over to Alain.

"Something has been bothering me about your choice to do this. I get it's your family's work, but what is it that you have against the World Government? From what you said, Mechior is on good terms with them." She inquired.

He looked down to her, still holding the wheel. "I never thought they were some shining beacon of justice or anything. To be honest, I never really cared about them." Alain explained. "When I met Luffy, and set out to Impel Down and Marineford… It made me see how truly vile they were. They couldn't just accept that they had won, they were trying to kill everyone. You saw it yourself."

Hancock looked away. Even she knew that the extreme lengths that they went to were beyond horrid, even after Ace, and Whitebeard had been killed, no one ever thought to stop. It was all pointless.

Alain just took her silence as agreement, and looked back forward. The barrier of Melchior becoming clearer in the distance. They had to be ready for the rough trip through, and Alain had to be fully alert the whole time. One distraction, and it would be the end for all of them. He set it forward, and then walked down.

"Well, there's one thing left… and I know you're not going to like it." Alain said to them both.

Luffy lifted his head up, his expression showed that he wondered what Alain ment, Hancocks as well.

Alain walked down to the bottom deck and was lucky to find some rope still inside. _Least Marguerite didn't take everything. _He thought to himself.

He came back up and held it out to them. "We're going into some turbulent waters in there. I can't risk you guys falling off the boat. Considering all of us are Devil Fruit Users, I need to make sure we're safe." Alain explained.

Hancock walked forward a bit. "What are you getting at?"

"I'm going to tie you up to the mast of this ship." Alain answered.

"Excuse me!?" Hancock nearly shouted. Luffy meanwhile just has a shocked expression on his face.

"The sea water is going to make you weak, and the constant rocking could make you fall off. I'm risking myself here you know, I have to steer the ship." Alain stated sharply.

"I'm honestly not a big fan of getting tied up." Luffy countered, putting his hands behind his head.

"No one is Luffy. But I'd rather you be safe, and me not explain to your friends how you fell into the sea." Alain explained. He knew mentioning his friends would get him to listen, even if just a little.

Hancock still stood firm however. "Well you can forget it. I am not going to degrade myself like that." Turning her head away, her hands held against her waist.

Alain however knew how to convince her. "I need both you and Luffy held against the mast. It's the only idea I have."

Upon the mention of both her and Luffy, her face became flushed. Alain could tell in her head she was thinking of being that close to the man she loved. She held her hands against her face, turning away from them. About a minute later, she turned back, trying to seem collected, but Alain could see her face was still flushed a bit red.

"V...Very well." She agrees.

With both in agreement, they stood close to the mast and Alain tied them down to it. He made sure that it was secured so that neither of them would break free.

"Do you have to make this so tight?" Hancock asked, irritated.

"You want to go flying off the ship into the sea?" Alain countered.

She stayed silent after that. Luffy however was moaning the entire time. He really didn't like being tied down. Alain knew from experience that Luffy liked being in the heat of the action, but Alain wasn't taking any chances in this case.

With that all done, Alain stood by the wheel and began steering right into the ring of rocks. He had the route memorized, so he remembered where he needed to be. While Alain had made sure his two friends were safe, he needed to be sure that he didn't get too much sea water on him, or else he wouldn't be able to steer the boat properly.

The waves began to pick up more, the boat bobbing up and down ever so slightly.

_Keep calm, You've done this before._ Alain mentally told himself, the water becoming more restless with every passing minute.

Finally, the rocks are clearly in front of them now, a small opening just wide enough for the boat to get through up ahead.

Hancock finally speaks up. "Are you sure this is the right way?!" Very concerned at this point, the lingering fact of being tied up still displeasing her.

"Pretty sure Hancock, I need to concentrate." He responds, his vision focused directly ahead.

The rock walls surrounded them now, the crashing waves on them raising high. The path at times curved quite a bit at times, and the ocean below was shifting bad enough that even Luffy was concerned by the constantly shifting boat.

Alain was reliving the time he left in reverse at this point. Back then however it was raining, here the sky was cloudy, only blocking out the sun. The terrible weather made it feel even worse when he did the trip the first time. The height of the walls making it even more intimidating. The ever constant thought of how many ships could be below them right now never leaving him.

As Luffy and Hancock were in a panic over this, the trip began to seem like it had been going on for an eternity. Alain dared not look back, as he knew it would break his concentration, and just make his own concern grow. Small waves that were rocking the boat caused some water to fly onto the deck. Good thing Alain made Luffy and Hancock stand on some boxes so the water didn't hit their legs, though the sight of it at the time did amuse him slightly.

Alain never thought about how long the trip was for getting past the rocky barriers, him turning the wheel at several points. The slightly eroded walls around, and several other paths opening up, but luckily he remembered which way to go. Part of him hoped that the path hadn't become completely eroded and changed. Luffy and Hancocks calls to him were like muffled noises in his mind, the sound of the waves being the only thing he was able to hear.

The boat at a few points came close to the walls at times, but Alain managed to keep it steady so that it was still on course.

_How much time has passed? 20 minutes? 30? An hour? _Alain thought to himself briefly.

His sense of time was all but gone with how focused he was on getting the boat through this maze.

A large wave comes by and rocks the boat even more, Alain struggling to keep the thing steady. They had to be close by now.

_Come on, this path isn't that long. _Alain thought, wishing for this to be over. It was a trial more than anything, if he didn't have his complete focus on this, they would surely have sunk long ago. Alain wasn't a great helmsman, but he could at least operate a boat of this size.

The constant waves, the closeness of the rocks, Alain put all his efforts into this. He needed to make it, his family's work was on the line. He wanted to save it, and prevent them from being seen as criminals, or maybe it was to get back at the man who forced him to leave.

After steering for what seemed like forever, a clearing could be seen up ahead. The way out of the ring and into open water. He didn't let that relax him, as he had to get them the rest of the way. The waves were still very rough, and the ship felt like it was moving at a snail's pace.

Luffy, who was tied on the front of the mast noticed it, and was shouting out of joy that they had made it, being his usual cheery self. Hancock picked up on this and took a breath, glad it was almost over.

Alain pushed forward, nearing the opening. It almost seemed like a heavy weight was lifted off his shoulders. The sun's rays almost lifted his mood as well. With little to worry about as they finally passed the barrier, Alain himself took a sigh of relief.

Looking straight ahead was the island, Melchior, his home. When he left, Alain didn't even take a chance to look back, having one final image of his home in his mind. Now there it is, as if he never left.

"We…. made it?" Hancock expressed.

"We're out, and inside Melchior's territory." Alain confirmed. "Now we just have to get to a spot on the back of the island."

"I honestly thought that would be a lot worse." She said aloud, looking down slightly.

"No, we picked the perfect time to do it. Weather was just right for the trip." Alain assured.

Hancock shifted in her ropes, or tried to, with how tight they were. Luffy was still excited that they made it, looking upon the island as well.

"Well, now that that's over. You can untie us now." Hancock insisted, in her usual high and mighty voice.

Alain however smirked a bit. "I'm sure you can wait a little longer. The voyage to the island is almost over." The full amusement and enjoyment of the situation finally set in for Alain.

"How dare…" Hancock gritted her teeth, clearly angered by Alain's dismissive response.

For Hancock, this was the worst day of her life. For Alain, it was the highlight of his day.

**Long wait aside, I finally got through a part I was dreading, the voyage past. It's not that good honestly, and I know that, but I felt like if I skipped over it I would be avoiding something a real writer wouldn't. Figure out a solution somehow, which….. Eh, it's something at least.**


End file.
